Georgia Tech’s New Student Convocation featured two student speakers
from the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Merry Hunter Hipp and Mike
Donohue.

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Mike Donohue, Merry Hunter Hipp(image/jpeg)

Georgia Tech’s New Student Convocation featured two student speakers
from the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Merry Hunter Hipp and Mike
Donohue. Hipp, a sophomore majoring in Public Policy and minoring in
History, Technology, and Society, presented the traditional sophomore
welcome. Donohue, a double major in Public Policy and Economics &
International Affairs, spoke at the Convocation in his role as Chair of
the Honor Advisory Council.

Hipp was nominated for her distinguished speaking role by her
mentor, and influence in choosing to attend Tech, School of Public
Policy Associate Professor Richard Barke. In her speech, Merry Hunter
drew from exciting memories of her own Convocation experience and
provided sage advice to the new students, encouraging them to enjoy
school but also to “be proud to be a Yellow Jacket”. She attributed
each letter of “GO JACKETS” to a unique tradition that each new student
could consider adopting, like “S is for Success” and “T is for Tech
Pride.”

Donohue also sought to inspire pride in the new students, just as he
“was proud to be up [on stage] belting out the fight song”. In his
remarks, he said the Convocation “creates a great sense of camaraderie
amongst the new students because it’s the first time they are all
together and it’s going to be the only time they are all together and
that’s how they start out their Georgia Tech career and it really sets
them on a good path”. While Donohue encouraged new students to enjoy
their time at Tech, he also advised them that being a Yellow Jacket
comes with the responsibility of academic integrity. He presented the
honor code to the students in a light and unique way that Tech students
could truly understand…as a mathematical equation. Donohue adapted the
poignant Marcus Tullius Cicero quote, "Ability without honor is
useless", into “Ability equals Honor”.

As Hipp and Donohue reflected on their experience as new students
participating in the Convocation, they both paused in pleasure and
disbelief as they recounted all that they have accomplished since they
first put on a RAT cap. Both have excelled as leaders in the classroom
and in numerous student organizations, and have traveled abroad on
academic-related trips. The future for these two leaders is exciting
and limitless, the same notions they wished for the proud new students.
The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts also has reason to exhibit “Tech
Pride” - of the three students who spoke at the New Student
Convocation, two of them are our own.